Just to follow up on the message below, I have now received the marriage certificate and it does show that Rose Shepherd was a spinster, and her father's name was Wm SHEPHERD, so naming her daughter's father as James SHEPHERD could indeed have been a convenient bit of fiction. I have also received baptism certs for Gertrude SHEPHERD 13 May 1880 (Bolton 8c - ?) and Emily SHEPHERD 9th March 1872 (Bolton 8c 429) but they are not mine - I know there is a site for offering spare certs but thought I'd offer them here first. If anyone would like them or just more details please email me off-list. Thanks again to those who helped me out on this one Sandie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------- Original email What a great bit of lateral thinking. The address is a very big clue, and I will certainly be ordering that marriage cert. I'll let you know when I get it! I'm so grateful for the time you have spent on this, thanks so much Sandie In a message dated 28/05/06 22:41:33 GMT Daylight Time, pne.anne@ntlworld.com writes: I was wondering if Rosa got married after Gertrude was born and after doing some research, I have found something interesting. I have found a marriage between a Rose Ann Shepherd in the June Quarter 1892 Bolton. The men on the same page were Nathanial Green (who I have ruled out) and William Norton. I have looked for William Norton on the 1901 Census. He is a widower living with three children, who could be his from his first marriage. The interesting part is that he is living at 4 Robert Street, which is the address that Rosa, Emily A. and Gertrude were living in 1891. >Following on from my last e-mail, I have found the death of Rose Ann Norton. She died in >the December Quarter, 1897 Bolton, aged 48 years. She is the right age for your Rosa. >If it is your Rosa, who married William Norton, it would be interesting to see if she was a >spinster when she married, therefore, proving that James was a made up name on her >daughter's wedding certificate.